Dereje Hailemariam (PhD)Seifemichael Bekele2024-04-302024-04-302011-10https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/2902In recent years, the advancements in wireless communications and electronics have enabled the development of low-cost, low-power and multifunctional wireless sensor networks (WSNs). As nodes in sensor networks are equipped with a limited power source, efficient utilization of power is a very important issue in order to extend the network lifetime. It is for these reasons that researchers are currently focusing on the design of power-aware protocols and algorithms for sensor networks. In this thesis, two routing protocols that provide efficient energy management for WSNs are proposed. The first protocol, GAICH (Genetic Algorithm Inspired Clustering Hierarchy), makes use of genetic algorithm to create optimum clusters in terms of energy consumption. The other one, GCH (Grid Clustering Hierarchy), creates clusters by forming virtual girds, where nodes share the role of cluster head in a round-robin fashion. These protocols have been implemented in MATLAB using a standard radio energy dissipation model that is used for the simulation of WSNs. Performance comparison has been made with two of the existing routing protocols: LEACH and Direct Transmission, on different performance metrics. Simulation results show that GAICH and GCH are better than LEACH in the total packets sent to the base station and network lifetime. Moreover, different techniques for optimizing energy consumption in WSNs are suggested.en-USWireless sensor networksEnergy efficiencyClustering hierarchyGenetic algorithmGridRouting protocolThesis